Mercedes-Benz unveils stunning new CLA coupe

Since its launch in 2013, 750 000 have been sold worldwide. The new model will be manufactured at the Kecskemét factory (Hungary) and is set to head to market in May 2019.

From MBUX Interior Assist, which recognises operational demands from gestures and equips the interior with intelligence, through augmented reality for navigation and understanding indirect voice commands to the Energizing coach that provides individual fitness recommendations, the new CLA offers an array of clever solutions.

For the first time, the CLA is able to drive semi-autonomously in certain situations. By using an improved camera and radar systems it is able to see up to 500m ahead.

Ola Källenius, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG, responsible for Group Research and Mercedes-Benz Cars Development said: "Now we go to the next level with an intelligent interior assistance system for the compact class. By recognising gestures it facilitates natural operation."

In terms of design, the CLA's profile has combination of the long, stretched entry line above the windows and frameless doors. The front end is the striking front section which is raked forwards like a shark nose with a long, stretched bonnet featuring powerdomes.

Flat headlamps together with the low slung bonnet and the diamond radiator grille with central star create the vehicle’s sporty face. The two-piece, narrow tail lamps and the number plate housed in the bumper make the rear of the CLA look especially wide.

Inside, it's very similar to the new A-Class with the interior architecture shaped in particular by the avant-garde design of the dashboard: The designers completely dispensed with a cowl above the cockpit. As a result, the wing-shaped main body of the dashboard extends from one front door to the other with no visual discontinuity.

The widescreen display is completely free-standing. The lower section is visually separated from the main body of the instrument cluster by a ‘trench’, and it appears to float in front of the instrument cluster. The ambient lighting enhances this effect. The air vents sport a turbine-look.

In terms of driving dynamics, too, the new CLA features a wide track (an extra 63mm at the front and 55mm more at the rear compared to its predecessor) and a lower centre of gravity.

As an option, an active adaptive damping system is available, giving the driver the choice between comfort or a more uncompromising sporty tuning.

At the trade show presentation in Las Vegas, the CLA on display is the CLA 250 with the powerful four-cylinder petrol engine 165kW/350Nm with 7G-DCT dual-clutch transmission.

By the European market launch in May, there will be a broad range of diesel and petrol engines available featuring manual or dual-clutch transmissions and 4MATIC all-wheel drive.